Remember that picture I posted a month ago of my messy shelf of gift-wrapping supplies? The clutter that sucked the life out of me every time I went hunting for paper or a bow in that closet? Well, I’ve shaken myself out of my mid-winter funk and done something about it.

I began by clearing the shelf. Bows, paper, ribbons, and boxes were tossed out of the closet and onto the floor of the guest bedroom, ready to be sorted as soon as I dusted the now-empty shelf. Doesn’t an area always look bigger when it’s bare?

I then started organizing by putting the rolls of wrapping paper in a tall box I found in the attic. Before, these rolls were lying on the shelf, hidden by bows, ribbon, and tissue paper. Now, I can easily see my wrapping paper options, including when I need to buy more.

Next, I sorted through tissue paper. Yes, I’m one of those women who smooths out the tissue stuffed in gift bags and carefully lays aside the tissue enfolding presents in a box. I guess I have some of that Great Depression, waste not/want not gene from my grandmas.

I didn’t realize how MUCH tissue paper I had accumulated, though. I decided to toss some of the more wrinkled sheets like this pretty pink one on the right.

I still had plenty to put back in the closet, laying the tissue flat to smooth out wrinkles and layering it to show my different color options. I found a package of unopened white, which I put on top of the pile to remind myself not to buy any more tissue paper any time soon.

Tissue paper was not the only unopened surprise. I also discovered a small package of never used gift wrap.

Tackling the bow and ribbon mess was probably the hardest job.

First, I pulled out the big bows, the ones once tied by ladies who work in those cute clothing boutiques. I can’t tell you how many times these fancy bows have been on birthday gifts to my daughters. Gifts that are opened in my house, where I can swoop in and rescue the bows before they are trashed. How’s that for recycling?

These bows were carefully placed on the shelf on top of the tissue paper.

After rescuing my big bows, I studied the large assortment of what I had left. True, I like to re-use, but I draw the line at squashed bows or seriously wrinkled ribbons. I threw a bunch away.

I compensated ditching these bows and ribbons by saving small pieces of wrapping paper. You know the end pieces that are often left over when you wrap a larger present? These pretty papers can be used on smaller gifts.

I’d already stacked quite a few gift bags, saved mostly from presents I’d received, between the wall and the box of wrapping paper when I discovered even more gift bags. These were hidden on a pull-out shelf of an old desk that sits underneath the gift-wrapping supply shelf.

I don’t think I’ll ever need to buy another small to medium size gift bag!

I had quite a pile of trash, some to be put in the outside recycling container. I like to save and re-use, but it did feel good to de-clutter and simply throw away the ratty stuff.

My reward for about an hour of work was an organized gift-wrapping supply shelf that will save me time when I’m hunting for paper and bows.